Flutterbys
by Xehra
Summary: Our favourite Master and Padawan discover beauty and peace in the Temple gardens


Title: Flutterbys  
Author: Xehra xehra1@hotmail.com  
Category: Fluff! A snapshot really  
Rating: G  
Pairing/Characters: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan  
Archive: Thousand Fountains, anywhere else please drop me a line so I can visit!  
Disclaimer: Star Wars does not belong to me. It belongs to George. I make no money.  
Warnings: None  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Our favourite Master and Padawan discover beauty and peace in the Temple gardens  
Feedback: Please! Always appreciated.  
Author's Note: This is a little mush I cooked up in response to Ellen's challenge to write a non-violent fic. Well, I never imagined how hard it would be! On the upside, though, I realized I *can* write fic without dark themes... :)   
*In memory of Astrid Lindgren*  
  
~~~~~~~~  
Flutterbys  
~~~~~~~~  
  
A pair of translucent wings fluttered, bearing the small insect towards its unknown destination. Qui-Gon Jinn watched through half-closed eyelids and wished he were as carefree.  
  
Resisting the urge to lie back in the lush green grass, the Jedi Master took a few deep breaths and attempted to center himself. The maelstrom of his thoughts swirled for a moment, then calmed as he slipped deeper and deeper into a meditative state. The dragonfly's wings seemed to slow, their blur of movement observable through Force-enhanced vision as mere flutters.  
  
Letting his mind wander where it would, Qui-Gon reviewed the events of his and Obi-Wan's last mission. Only two days ago they'd been in deadly peril, but now they were safe again within the confines of the Temple.   
  
Wryly, Qui-Gon acknowledged that they'd been lucky this time. Usually a mission for his Padawan and himself ended with one or both of them in the Healer's Wing.  
  
Worries and cares flurried and flew though his brain, but he glanced briefly at them all and let them go, happy to see them flow outwards and allow his tension to seep away a little.  
  
When he felt the joyous familiar surge of the Force sweep through him, Qui-Gon opened his eyes to view his favourite meditation spot.  
  
Imbued with the colours of the Living Force, the garden thrummed with visible energy. Golden lines that connected the universe stretched between every rock, plant and insect, the strands making plain the intricacies of the web of life.  
  
The beauty of the scene acted like a balm on Qui-Gon's taut nerves and for the first time in a very long time, he felt at peace.  
  
That feeling, however, did not last long.  
  
"Master! There you are!"  
  
With characteristic enthusiasm, Obi-Wan Kenobi jogged into the small mediation garden, blissfully unaware that he strode straight through the golden strands of Force that Qui-Gon had been observing so happily.  
  
The living web broken, the older Jedi sighed and with the ease of many years of practise, dismissed the annoyance that rose up in him. Instead, he found a smile for his beloved Padawan who so blindly blundered through the galaxy without the appreciation of such beauty.  
  
"Obi-Wan. You have finished eating, then."  
  
The young man flashed an unrepentant grin back at his Master and flopped onto the grass next to Qui-Gon.  
  
"Yes. The bottomless pit has been filled... miraculously!"  
  
Qui-Gon could not help but laugh a little, though his thoughts sobered when he recalled the many days during this last mission when they both did not eat.  
  
"I am glad to hear it. And the healers have given you the all-clear?"  
  
Obi-Wan nodded, engrossed in a strand of grass he twirled in his fingers. "They did indeed. I think they were disappointed they couldn't find anything wrong with me this time! Healer Ranni said they'd had a bed set up for me and everything... "  
  
Qui-Gon shook his head and chuckled along with his Padawan.   
  
They fell into reflective silence then, each content to sit lost in their own thoughts. For Qui-Gon, it was these times he valued most with his Padawan. Their missions never failed to reveal to him more of Obi-Wan's potential and often made him realize anew how much the young man meant to him.  
  
In this brief moment of stillness, then, he was happy to sit with his Padawan and let the bustling of the Temple pass them by for a while. Here in the meditation gardens, Qui-Gon found it much easier to center and rejuvenate after weeks of constant intrigue and action.  
  
Cross-legged, he watched idly as small insects flittered through the clearing, swirling around the two Jedi as if they were no more than stones that happened to breathe. As his gaze traced their random flight, a new, larger insect swooped low over Obi-Wan's head and spiralled downwards.  
  
It was a dragonfly of some sort, one Qui-Gon had seen many times before in the gardens. In fact, it was probably the one he had been watching before Obi-Wan disturbed his peace. Its transparent wings would easily have spanned his hand from wrist to fingertip.  
  
Quick as thought, Obi-Wan's hands darted out and trapped the insect in a cave of cupped hands. Bringing his captured prey up to one eye, the Padawan peered through a small gap in his fingers at the agitated dragonfly.  
  
Qui-Gon was surprised, but held back his criticism for a moment. After a few heartbeats, however, he could stand it no longer.  
  
"Obi-Wan! How many times have I told you to be mindful of the Living Force?"  
  
His Padawan looked startled for a moment, then furrowed his forehead in concentration, still looking at his flapping victim.   
  
"Oh!" he said, surprised. "He wants to be let go!"   
  
The fleshy cave that imprisoned the insect immediately opened up. The dragonfly soared gratefully to freedom, riding a warm updraught until he could no longer be seen by the Jedi on the grass below.  
  
Qui-Gon fixed his Padawan with a reproving look. "Now why did you do that?"  
  
Obi-Wan looked suitably abashed. "I didn't want to hurt him... I just wanted to look at him. I'm sure it was one of the genus we saw in the swamps on Agamar, but a slightly different species."  
  
"Well, no harm done this time," replied Qui-Gon. "But I am surprised at you, Padawan. Your curiosity so rarely leads you to unwitting cruelty like that."  
  
He was silent for a few minutes, giving Obi-Wan time to think about his actions. The garden around them continued to breathe at a level below normal consciousness, and Qui-Gon wondered when he would be able to find the time to visit again.   
  
"They are beautiful, though aren't they?" he said suddenly, thoughts turning back to the dragonfly. "Mace and I used to call them 'flutterbys'."  
  
Obi-Wan cocked his head sideways, a little taken aback by this unusual personal revelation. His Master almost never talked about his younger days in the Temple. "Really? That's pretty."  
  
Qui-Gon stood suddenly, unfolding his large frame and stretching muscles that had been still for hours. "And childish!" he replied, grinning. He held out a hand to his Padawan. "Come, we're not getting anything useful done here."  
  
Obi-Wan took the proffered hand and pulled himself upright.   
  
"But that's not the point, is it?" he asked cheekily. "This is were a Jedi comes to *escape* duty."  
  
Qui-Gon held up one finger. "A Jedi comes to the gardens to *meditate*, not escape, Padawan. There's a subtle difference," he corrected with an answering smile.  
  
"Whichever! All I know is, I'm glad there are flutterbys here."  
  
They began to walk back to the real world, the winding garden paths leading them inexorably towards the bustle of the main Temple.  
  
"Me too, Obi-Wan." The Jedi Master put one arm around the young man for a moment and laughed when Obi-Wan squirmed, embarrassed.  
  
~END~ 


End file.
